How Hot Does A Campfire Get? Every Camper Needs To Know This

Fire has always been a great servant but a bad master. Here we will focus on its ability to be a great servant during a camping spree. After a long day of hiking, the only best idea you can get on how to make the night memorable is by sitting around a campfire and chatting late into the night. If you are camping alone, you can use it to keep warm.

Relying on a campfire to warm yourself can make so many questions cross your mind. How hot is a campfire? What is the best location for the campfire? How do you start the campfire? These are some of the questions that you might need to answer before starting a campfire. This article is, however, going to dwell on “how hot does a campfire get”.

The heat from the campfire can sometimes mean the difference between life and death especially in the freezing nights. This is because it can sometimes get so cold in the wilderness that even your sleeping bag’s insulation cannot help you despite using it inside your tent. Honestly speaking, a campfire will be your only other option in such cases.re...

So, what is the average campfire temperature?

On a chilly night after hiking, I am sure all you would want is to feel cozy in the open with tons of fresh air and equally enough warmth. This means that you will need to keep on adding more fuel until you are content with the temperature of the campfire.

The normal temperature which is also the highest temperature for a campfire ranges at approximately 1,100 degrees Celsius which is 2,012 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is attained when you have a well-stocked wood campfire.

The firing temperature is hot enough to melt an aluminum tin since the melting point of aluminum is 1221 degrees Fahrenheit. With this temperature, you can clearly note that leaving the campfire unattended could cause you unimaginable losses.

3 Factors which Affect the Temperature of your Campfire

1. Flow of Oxygen

Oxygen is the gas that is responsible for supporting combustion. The amount of Oxygen in the atmosphere will certainly affect the temperature of a campfire. If there is Oxygen in abundance, then the campfire will burn at a faster rate compared to when the amount of oxygen is less.If you light the campfire when there is a strong wind blowing, you risk causing yourself and the other camper’s risks since the slow campfire can explode into flames.

2. Wood species

We all get our firewood from varying species or trees, either because those are the best trees to provide firewood within our localities or because of our preferences. These different species of wood burn at different rates which will affect the temperature of your campfire in the long run.

3. Wood sizes

The best size of wood to use when starting a campfire should be the smallest. They go by the name “tinder”. They have the ability to catch fire and burn at the lowest temperatures easily. To keep the fire burning, add on some twigs which are known as kindling. They are bigger in size compared to the tinder and also burn at a higher temperature.

Finally, to enhance the burning of the campfire, add firewood which are bigger in size. The firewood is ideal to burn for a longer period of time because it catches fire slowly and still burns at the highest temperature.If the firewood chunks are too big, chop them into smaller pieces to enhance faster ignition. This way, you will be assured of enough warmth all night long.

How to pick wood for a campfire:

Determining the Temperature of a Campfire with the Help of Its Color

Getting to know the temperature of a campfire is difficult; almost impossible since getting too close to it is a nightmare. Determining the temperature of a campfire simply by the color of its flames is an easier way to help you make the judgment.

For instance, flames which are deep red in color indicate that the flame’s temperature is at 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit, orange-yellow flames are for a campfire that has a temperature of 2,012 degrees Fahrenheit which can also be translated to 1,100 degrees Celsius. Using the color of the campfire flames to determine the temperature of it is not a reliable method though.

The type of fuel used also gives the campfire a distinct appearance which will enable you to identify the fuel which has been used to make the campfire.

4 Best Wood Species to Make a Campfire

1. Ash

Ash is an ideal wood for making campfire since it can burn even when it is green. This is so because it contains very little moisture. Ash is also ideal if you intend to use your campfire for cooking too. It does not produce a lot of smoke, so your eyes are less likely to get teary, and neither will your utensils get dirty.

2. Oak

Oak is the ultimate wood for you as a camper. You are sure to find it almost everywhere you set up your camping site. Once you get some dry chunks, you can be sure of just enough warmth throughout the night since the oak wood burns slowly and steadily, and still produces just enough heat.

3. Cedar

If you can barely resist the charm of camping during the winter season, you do not have to worry about having very long and cold nights due to the chilly weather. With the slow and steady burning rate, cedar wood with its sweet aroma will let you have a good night’s sleep as it generates very appealing heat.

4. Hickory

If you desire to cook a meal fast, probably roast a hare that you caught after you were done hiking, hickory is the best wood for your camping needs. It will help you keep warm and also help you get your meal ready as it produces more heat compared to oak.

References: You can follow these guides to build a campfire: Guide #1 - Guide #2

11 Safety Measures When Building Up Campfires

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Have a campfire pit that is large enough to prevent it from straying in a way that it can cause harm.

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You can always avoid building a campfire on a day when it is extremely windy.

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Never at any one time leave a campfire unattended. Always remember the part where fire can be a bad master.

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Ensure that no burning embers are left once you are done extinguishing the campfire. You can do so by using a lot of water then stir the mixture or, if you are aiming at conserving water during your camping period, you can use dirt.

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However cold it could be, make the size of the fire minimal. This will help so much in preventing dangerous occurrences.

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As the fire burns, ensure that you have control mechanisms at hand just in case the fire gets out of control. Shovels to pour dirt on the wildfire or a lot of water are an excellent choice of mitigation measures.

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Light your fire in an open place, away from handing branches, on a relatively level ground and with a space of about 10 feet away from any flammable objects.

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If you have a fire ring, do not fail to make use of it.

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Never build a campfire that is too large such that in case it gets out of hand, you would not control it.

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Closely supervise the children who could be within the camping site to ensure that none of them gets too close to the campfire to get injured.

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Sleep far from the campfire at a safe distance since in most cases the campfire burns at very high temperatures till very late.

Conclusion

There are several factors that determine how hot is a campfire but whichever the case; it should never exceed 1,200 degrees Celsius. To help fire “the servant” to serve you better, you need to take certain precautions. Do not ignore any of them, however simple they seem to be if you don’t want to see the ugly side of fire once it decides to take charge.

This way, the campfire will ensure that your evening after a tiresome hike will be simply amazing. You can cook and at the same time keep warm with no worries. We believe that this article has also comprehensively answered the question, “how hot is a bonfire?”

Leave a comment on your thoughts about the temperature that you find best for a campfire and your method of determining how hot it is. Feel free to make any inquiry and help from us.